Teenage problems
by WraithBubbles
Summary: Becoming Queen of a Hive is no easy task to master, especially when a wraith is young. But if you can find that what your kin have failed to, your chances improve significantly. The Lanteans may have finally met their match.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing of or about Atlantis, wraith nothing. Zilch, Nothing what so ever.

A/N: ok first fic due mainly to staying up too late while watching too much Stargate.

--

There was an uncomfortable silence aboard the hive.

The young queen studied the large room. A few commanders and a scientist scattered the area. Everyone else was deep in sleep, building their strength for the upcoming culling. And they would need it if it was to be a success.

In two days time they were set to meet with two other hives for a whole planet culling, something that was becoming more frequent due to the lack of food. Few chose to talk of it, about their right to feed being gradually stolen from them by these new Lanteans.

Satisfied everything was organized , Carmiha left the control room in search of her own chamber. As she walked down endless hallways she could feel her strength weakening. She was unsure when the last time she slept was and evn queens were now forced to bear the burden of lack of food. She suddenly halted, almost walking straight past her chambers. She lazily waved a hand over the glowing panel on the wall, and instantly the door in front of her slid open. Once it had shut she allowed herself to fall onto the sleeping platform in the middle of the room.

It was not the culling that was wearing her out however, it was everything else. Carmiha was one of the youngest females to take power among her kind. However although she had a head start on everyone else it came with a price. Unlike other queens, she had no mate, no guidance, and her second-in-command was not her first choice by far. If it was up to her she would have him thrown in the nearest airlock, yet it was one of the few things she had no power over. It was not that he was a bad commander but he didn't seem too able to make a decision on his own and when she did offer advice he would ignore it. She had told him several times today, as long as those culled were not worshippers they would be acceptable for feedings, yet he continued to ask for what seemed like everyone. She shut her eyes in an attempt to sleep yet they refused to leave her alone. She sensed a presence at her door.

She let out a growl. If this was that particular wraith again, it wouldn't just be his pride that would be injured when he walked away he would personally make sure of it. Her hand flew over the panel on the wall.

"What do you disturb me with this time!" her voice was harsher than supposed to be, and she soon regretted it seeing one of the wraith closest to her stare at her in shock and confusion. He stood clumsily trying to get his words out while holding his head down in respect and fear. She chuckled at his modesty. Him, Daynygh, her longest childhood friend yet he still feared her.

It saddened her really knowing he would always fear her so much he could not bring himself to say what he really thought, but she couldn't help but laugh at him at this particular incident. He stopped mumbling as soon as he realised she was laughing at him. He stood up straight trying to hold on to the dignity he had left.

"The commanders wish you to know that they have finished their task and the culling has a greater chance of being a success now"

She smiled at him in a half hearted way. So that was why he was here. The others new disturbing her would end in a dire ending for them, yet were smart enough to realise she wouldn't harm Daynygh.

She bowed her head slightly in a thankful gesture before turning and closing the door as she entered her chambers once again. Daynygh remained at the door for a few seconds before releasing an amused grunt and walking away.

She laid on the sleeping platform once more. Maybe this culling would e a complete success, despite what the others feared. And besides they still had one more day before their skills and patience would be tested. So far their journey had been good. No opposition. Maybe for once they would have a peaceful culling.

--

John Sheppard stood on the deck of the Deadalus, impatiently tapping his foot.

He couldn't wait to arrive on that planet just so he could hear someone else speak to him accept Rodney McKay, even if their tip off had been correct. He would rather face the wraith than another day of Rodney's scientific mumbo. They had only been aboard twelve hours yet already the babbling scientist was driving him insane.

But his thankfully the torment was nearly over; they would arrive there within the next few days. When they did, he could escape, talk to some new people…in fact he'd be happy to talk to a wraith as long as he didn't have to pretend to understand anything else about "highly-technical processes" or important scientific work that as McKay put it "he wouldn't understand if it slapped him in the face."

And maybe if he gathered all his strength it was actually going to be possible to survive this journey without gagging his dearest and most pig headed friend.

--

A/n: ok just a first chapter to set the scene kinda…it will get better though as the chapters go on. :)

**Another A/n: this has been redone, I didn't like it, and I may even redo it again…just advanced warning there )**


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: ok finally I'm posting whether you want to read or not. And it's longer and it is getting better. Promise! :P

--

Carmiha looked on proudly as wraith of different ranks gathered in the dart bay. As usual a drone would control the dart, while others of higher status would be beamed onto the planet's surface. They had been in rest for 2 days now, all three hives had gathered.

Yet already there was tension.

Carmiha had attempted to have her hive lowered closer to the planet's surface something that caused riot within the other hives.

Not a good start to their plan.

But Carmiha stood her ground. She had moved closer and it would now be her darts that would reach the planet first. Choosing their areas to cull and mark it from the other hives.

The young queen looked around her. Already darts where leaving. As she turned to watch them she almost smacked into someone, causing her to jump. Daynygh stood with his head lowered, behind him a lower ranking male and several drones, obviously part of his hunt party. She shifted as she regained her posture.

"A real companion would look me in the eye Daynygh" she raised an eyebrow.

She smirked as his eyes met hers. She snorted satisfied as she pushed past him.

"Better."

He followed her as she walked towards his located dart, using the mental network to talk as they went. Even though he would be the one in it he would never dream of leading her to it. He would be severely punished for indicating he thought he was better than her.

"You are satisfied with the plan?" Carmiha's voice broke his thoughts.

He bowed his head in agreement. Not that anyone would dare argue with the young queen's plans. He nearly walked into her as she came to stop at the dart, quickly swerving to the right. The was a snort behind him as the lower ranking hunter laughed at his commander.

Something he would have regretted if times had not been so desperate to follow.

Carmiha watched as Daynygh's face quickly went from pale to dark, then swiftly back to pale. She had always found his over active emotions amusing. Even as children he would blush when he made more mistakes or when she beat him in training. As he had gotten older he learnt to control them better. Yet he still blushed when he thought no one would see.

However, she stepped aside and allowed a drone to enter the dart. The dart made a wailing noise as it lifted off the ground.

Carmiha moved to the side, bowing her head slightly and smiling at Daynygh as he was swept up into the tractor beam. She tilted her head to the side and smirked to herself and she walked away.

--

"Are we there yet?" colonel Sheppard cringed as the wailing scientist continued his rant.

"For the last time, NO McKay!" Sheppard had just about had enough of this.

Four days.

FOUR DAYS! The time he had been stuck with McKay, and what for? To investigate a planet that had no Stargate and was on imminent threat from the wraith. Of joy of joys.

"Fine! There's no need to get snappy!" McKay flopped into a chair and begun his sulking session.

John massaged his temples and sighed. Now he had to stop him sulking as well.

"McKay?" john tilted his head up in an attempt to see the small scientist from his chair.

"No. I'm fine. Don't worry." McKay's voice had an edge to it that john didn't like. It was coming. He mentally did a countdown...3…2…1…

"You know what?! I'm not fine actually!" McKay seemed to jump from the chair.

"Here it comes…" john muttered as he sunk gradually into the cushioned chair.

"I'm fed up with everyone yelling at the scientists, we work our butts off all day and what do we get? Yelled at I mean come on…"

Sheppard shut his eyes and counted to twenty while trying to think of things other than McKay being beamed aboard a hive ship as a 'complementary meal'. Something that looked appealing to the Colonel at the moment.

His attention was snapped back.

"Typical not even listening!" Sheppard turned on his heel.

He sighed again. He got up and walked towards Rodney, putting his hand on the scientists shoulder. The smile that formed was sickeningly sweet. "I'm sorry McKay." He turned around and almost skipped out the room.

Although he swore he could have heard a clang as McKay's jaw hit the floor.

--

Carmiha stood at the large panel in the control room. She watched hypnotized as darts swan in and out of each other. Each going to their separate hives, full of their latest 'meals'.

For some reason the darts had always fascinated her. Mainly their power, everyone feared the hive ships. Simply because of size. Yet the darts were much more deadly. Able to sneak up on towns or villages. Fair to say their position was given away by the wailing of the engines, but the speed had made that fact unimportant. Hence why they were so used during large scale cullings.

She was suddenly knocked of balance as the hive shook to the side. She landed with painful force against the glowing panel. A screeching siren swept through the hives interior. Commanders rushed around her, one briefly stooping to assist her.

A dot had appeared on the holographic screens hovering in the middle of the room.

She screeched, not a normal screech, one full of anger and disappointment, forcing the others to cover their heads. This was unfair.

Her fist slammed into the screens.

She was forced to call back darts, ones that could now be seen being blown to pieces so very close to her.

She looked on in horror and boiling anger as the ship was identified as lantean.

--

A/N: There you go chapter 2! Review??


	3. Chapter 3

A/N:thank you to people who reviewed. I will try to make this one longer.

--

Sheppard and his team stood on the bridge of the Deadalus. Each patiently waiting for the swirling blue outside to turn to black.

Each in turn shifted to stop themselves falling as the Deadalus came out of hyperspace.

There were gasps as they came into view.

Three hive ships were lined next to each other at different levels above the planet. Swarms of darts coming to and from them, most likely full of humans.

"Thought you said this place was peaceful."

Colonel Caldwell accusation was met with a simple shrug as Sheppard stared at the fleet in front of them.

Both officers looked at each other, before looking at others around them. There were small whispers within the teams that were supposed to be beamed down.

Eventually the matter was resolved, only half the teams going down instead.

As they re-materialised, each found a suitable place to hide. They had been beamed into a building of some sort in case outside wraith were 'running riot' as Sheppard had put it.

Sheppard settled into his crouch next to Ronan. He could see the man's knuckles going white with how tight he gripped the glowing gun in his hand. He was jumpy as well. Like he just couldn't wait to start blowing wraith to bits.

A piecing scream ran through the building. They jumped up and followed it.

--

The hive had began moving to a better position. They would need their tactical advantage for this.

All wraith had heard of the Lantean ships and the shield that surrounds them, but the lanteans had a weakness.

Their expectance for everything to stay the same, to never change.

Did they really expect her race to back down and except their own defeat?

Carmiha would take great pleasure in proving them wrong. For this culling to take place, each hive had to give to each other hive, something to help them. For example information in science or recent planets discovered for culling.

The information gained from the other hives was the last bit her scientists needed for the 'experiment'. Finally they had a weapon equal to the lanteans yet so much more destructive in power. Finally her kind was strong again.

She spun and faced the hologram. It showed the ships included in the fight, their shielding. The lanteans shielding was failing. Even the humans could not protect themselves from three hives.

Then she felt it. A twinge. Only small at the back of head. The echoes of her kin falling. It was now or never.

She gave the order to a commander. The hive shook as a large orange beam shot from it. It continued to flow until it hit the Lantean ship.

It pieced the shield seemingly without effort, scrapping along the front of the Lantean ship. There was a small but damaging explosion emitted from the failing ship.

She smirked proudly. This would most certainly get her the credit she needed among other queens.

---

Sheppard and his team ran towards the scream, Ronan leading them, eager to get his chance.

They were barely in the door when the red light hit the unsuspecting wraith. It went stiff, then limp before falling to the floor. In front of it lay the husk of some poor woman. Sheppard knelt over the fallen enemy, sighing before giving the order to move out.

They came out the house ready to fight. Yet no one had estimated the scale of this culling.

Wraith ran in and out of houses and buildings in large groups, dragging anyone they found outside and throwing them into the blue beams that were sweeping up anyone who was unfortunate too be in their way.

Unfortunately they had not gone unnoticed. Something that was hard to do when your large companion had ran out the building firing in random directions.

A party of several rather tall wraith now surrounded then. Several drones stood in the background. Sheppard smirked and held his gun firm, meeting the wraith stunners. This was how they stayed for several minutes.

"Well…this is all very nice but we really have to be going" Sheppard looked up. Exploding darts littered the sky and were threatening to rain on the planet.

One of the males followed his gaze until he growled and sharply turned his head beck to Sheppard.

Sheppard studied him for a second. He was different than most wraith Sheppard had seen. Come to think of it all the wraith surrounding him were. The marks that they bore were unfamiliar. Instead of the odd swirl going across their foreheads, they wore large tangled marks going down the side of their face and they were a lot taller than usual.

Even for a wraith this was tall. Sheppard could see McKay's jaw hanging open gawping at them. They were easily taller than 6 foot and most of the towered above Ronan as well.

It was like the best of the best had been sent out today.

There was screeching over head as the darts suddenly ran back to their hives. The wraith frowned, but it quickly washed away as an orange beam flew across the sky. The wraith looked Sheppard in the eye and grinned mockingly. Sheppard could feel his brows knit together. This wraith was creeper by far.

Suddenly the hunting party turned and walked around them, and were quickly swept into a darts beam, leaving the team firing into air.

McKay's jaw was still round his ankles, when they finished. It quickly snapped shut before opening to speak.

"That was different."

The team were so busy watching the dart leave no one noticed the one behind them approach.

--

Daynygh strode down the corridors, his pace quickening as he continued.

He continued this journey like this until eventually he had broken it into a jog, then a small run.

Although it was less often now, explosions still rattled the hive. He could feel Carmiha in his mind; she was the one who was calling him. He could sense her joy. Her invention had worked. She had finally proved herself among the hives. He smiled himself. He enjoyed his friend being so joyful.

When he finally got to the control room, he found his queen slumped over the glowing panel. She turned to face them. Although she was not physically smiling he could sense her inwardly grinning.

"Daynygh all went well I trust: all darts are back?" she cocked her head to one side.

"All is well my queen, storage is full and we have the one you wished"

Everyone crouched as an explosion erupted nest to them.

A gloating smile appeared on her face before she began hissing commands at the commanders.

"Then we shall leave."

There was a tilt to the ship as it turned and entered hyperspace.

--

Carmiha strode proudly towards the cells. Admittedly the culling had not gone exactly as planned and the parts that failed would inevitably cause her much embarrassment in the future, especially when the other two queens took their pleasure in pointing these flaws out.

However Carmiha stood proud in the knowledge that her hive would soon be the stronger opponent and of course they had the trade now.

She stood in front of a large door and looked through the cracks that the creeping organic material left. She tilted her head up, grinning widely and sparking obvious fear to the human in the cell.

"So you are the one they call McKay"

--

A/N: well there's chapter 3 and I think it's longer this time. Woo!! So…review?? Maybe? Possibly? :)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Okay first, THANK YOU to all the people who sent me lovely messages telling me to hurry up. They worked ^^. I do apologize for taking so long to update, I really have no excuse. But thank you for remembering me little story!

Disclaimer: As much as I'd love to, I still do not own Atlantis, A Stargate or the wraith.

Onwards!

* * *

"What are you waiting for? Turn the ship around!" Colonel Sheppard's voice echoed across the bridge.

Caldwell had had the Deadalus taken into hyperspace the moment things had finished exploding from the wraith energy weapon. This had caused a lot of objection from Sheppard who was all for invading the wraith hive to rescue McKay.

"You saw that weapon, Sheppard!" Colonel Caldwell sunk back into his chair. "They'd destroy us the moment we came back, and besides there's no way to track them through hyperspace, you know that."

Sheppard's faced became hard, all friendly emotion seemingly gone. "We don't leave our people behind _Colonel_."

Caldwell looked up at Sheppard, his expression challenging.

"And what is it you want me to do, Sheppard. Risk the entire crew to save one man? Or maybe just sacrifice a select few for your strike force?"

His tone was mocking and dripping with sarcasm. During the argument he had stood up again and was now face to face with Sheppard, and between them had drawn quite a crowd of shocked faces.

They stood facing each other for what seemed like minutes; each seemed to be waiting for the other to back down. The sound of hyperspace was the only source of background noise despite the audience that had gathered around them.

Finally Sheppard, realising this was a battle that could not be won, receded, turning sharply on his heel and storming out the room; Ronan and Teyla following quickly behind him bearing glares themselves.

Caldwell signed and fell back into his chair. He understood the Colonel's anger, he, himself, did not like to willingly leave people behind. But he would not sacrifice the safety of his ship and crew for anyone, and that included Dr McKay.

* * *

"You want me to what?!" Rodney McKay looked at the looming wraith in front of him and cleared his throat. "Oh no, no way, I'm not doing it."

He had somehow managed to gather enough courage together to reject their request, although it seemed to fade slightly with the glares that they had given him for his answer.

The female wraith that had been standing in front of him waved her hand over a glowing panel on the left of the door. The organic material that had once provided a make-shift barrier between him and the apparent queen had slid back into the slides.

She advanced on him slowly, as he backed up towards the back wall, until they were almost touching. She was close enough that he could feel her cool breath on his face as she spoke.

"Your response is disappointing _Doct_or-" Her voice had broken into more of a hiss as she went deeper into her conversation with him and he began to hear it echo in his head. "-but as I understand, you are very…compatitable under the right circumstances."

Before he could blink, before he could register the fear that sentence had caused him, she backed up. Her hand raised and for a moment he thought she was going to strike him. He went to duck, to shield himself from the blow, only to find that nothing in him seemed to be responding.

He felt her sharp nail trail slowly down his face, down to his jaw. _Kneel._

The word was dragged out in his head, echoing over and over again, blocking any other thoughts he may have had. He felt his knees buckle under him, and the brief pain as he hit the ground, eyes still fixed on the figure in front of him. He watched, paralysed, as she turned and looked over her shoulder, hissing at the wraith behind her.

"Bring her!"

Rodney wasn't sure what was happening at first, until the shocked face of a young woman met his own. He stared in horror as she was dragged in and slammed in front of him. Her eyes were red and blotchy; her face a constant look of panic and surprise. Her gaze wandered quickly between the now smirking face of the leading wraith and his own face. He found it odd that he briefly recognised her, maybe she came from the planet.

The Queen began pacing in front of him her eyes looking around her as though she'd never seen a hive cell before. Her eyes met his for a moment cementing her hold on his mind.

"You see Doctor; I have acquired a rather important piece of technology recently, something that will improve my Hive's capabilities greatly, although up till now we have had no way of activating it." She looked down at him, her eyes boring into his as she searched his mind for answers.

"This is why we have acquired you. Think about my request Doctor I'm sure this one will very grateful if you accepted." She waved a hand at the girl lying on the floor. The woman's eyes widened as she was picked up from behind by a leather-clad male and hoisted up until she could no longer touch the floor.

McKay watched as she grabbed the hand now wrapped from her throat, clawing at it in her attempt to free herself. This only seemed to agitate the wraith holding her to the point he slammed her into the uneven wall. He brought his hand up above the woman's head, bringing it down hard on her chest. The girl gasped as the breath was taken from her.

"No! Wait!" McKay looked up at the Queen from his spot on the floor, and she waved a hand for the male to stop. "I'll do it."

He watched disgusted as the Queen smirked, released his mind and walked out of his cell, several wraith trailing behind. The male that had been feeding on the girl dropped her to the ground, and followed the others out, closing the cell doors behind him.

McKay watched for a moment trying to wrap his head around what he'd just been involved in. He looked over at the girl on the floor, she hadn't aged too much, he guessed a few years at most; the wraith wasn't feeding that long. He studied her as she pulled herself to her knees and pushed her long black hair from her face. She met his eyes briefly and he looked away. He pulled himself back across the floor to the wall and rested his back against it. Taking a deep breath, he shut his eyes.

His team would come for him soon. They always did.

* * *

Daynygh followed the Commander back to the control room. The excitement he had felt at the thought of pleasing his Queen had faded quickly when he had witnessed the events of the human female being fed on.

Instead he had been filled with an odd feeling, one he couldn't quite grasp. He had witnessed feedings many times, had no quarrel with the process of feeding on humans. Most were not worth much more than cattle anyway and he was far passed the point of accepting humans as sustenance and nothing more.

No. It wasn't the feeding that gave him this odd stir of emotion, despite him knowing the human. He had thought about it long and hard while performing his duties and although he had not discovered all the reasons, he felt he had discovered the main one.

It was look on his Queens face that had unsettled him; the look that showed how his once close friend was slowing fading and instead she was becoming more like the previous Queen.

He had growled to himself for even thinking it, he refused to let that happen to her. He would not let her become _that._

Mainly because he had the sinking feeling that if she did, they would all be dead.

* * *

A/N: Chapter 4 is officially done! Still hard to believe it took me that long. The next chapter will be up a lot faster hopefully.


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